his stocking,
after letting the ammonia dry in the sun. "Yes; I'm better now," he
added, drawing down his trouser leg. "Much obliged, Yussuf. Don't you
take any notice of what I say when I'm cross."

"I never do, excellency," said Yussuf smiling gravely.

"Oh, you don't--don't you?"

"No, effendi, because I know that you are a thorough gentleman at
heart."

"Humph!" said Mr Burne, as he limped to where the professor had resumed
his digging. "Do you know, Lawrence, I begin to think sometimes that
our calm, handsome grave Turkish friend there, is the better gentleman
of the two."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

A TERROR OF THE COUNTRY.

It was now evening, but instead of the air becoming cooler with the wind
that blew from the mountains, a peculiar hot breath seemed to be exhaled
from the earth. The stones which had been baking in the sun all day
gave out the heat they had taken in, and a curious sombre stillness was
over everything.

"Are we going to have a storm, Yussuf?" said Mr Burne, as he looked
round at the lurid brassy aspect of the heavens, and the wild
reflections upon the mountains.

"No, excellency, I think not; and the people here seem to think the
same."

"Why? They don't say anything."

"No, excellency, but if they felt a storm coming they would have long
ago hurried back to their houses instead of sitting here so contentedly
waiting to see the effendi dig out his treasure."

For the people had not budged an inch, but patiently watched every
movement made by the travellers, crouching as it were, ready to spring
forward, and see the first great find.

But the professor made no great discovery. He was evidently right about
the building having been a temple, and it seemed as if an altar must
have stood there, bearing a figure of which he picked up several pieces
beautifully sculptured, but nothing that could be restored by piecing
together; and when, wearied out, he turned to examine some other parts
of the old temple, the most interesting thing that he found was a piece
of column, nearly buried, and remarkable for containing two of the
rounds or drums secured together by means of molten lead poured through
suitable holes cut in the stones.

"There," he said at last, "I have been so deeply interested in what I
have seen here, that I owe you plenty of apologies, Burne, and you too,
Lawrence."

"Humph!" grunted the old lawyer, "you owe me nothing. I would as soon
stop here and look about at